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Foreign Language Learning

Learning a foreign language can be rewarding. A foreign language is a language that one learns apart from their native tongue. For example, a native of Mexico learning French is acquiring another language, or foreign language. There are many reasons why someone should learn a foreign language: it enhances one’s brain activity, it allows for easier traveling, and it looks good on a job resume, as speaking multiple languages provides many employment opportunities. It was reported in The UK that speaking a second language could potentially raise the average person’s salary to 3,300 Euros a year. It is common these days, for employers to require an applicant to prove their efficiency in a second language. In the United States, Spanish is almost necessary to have access fully, to the job market; in Europe, French and German are the languages most employers look for.

There are various terms used in the world of foreign language learning. One term that is often used is 'bilingual.' To be bilingual, means to be a speaker of an additional language to one’s native tongue, or speaking 2 languages. Another term used is 'multilingual,' or 'polylingual,' meaning that a person is able to speak and express themselves in multiple languages. After adolescence, acquiring another language has scientifically been proven to be more difficult, and many say achieving complete fluency into adulthood in a new language, is nearly impossible.

There are many different methods to learning a language. The most obvious way to learn new languages, is by using a book. Phrasebooks are popular amongst tourists learning a few words in a new language, or even for the average person hoping to get a full command of a new foreign language. Languages can be learned also by an instructor; most colleges and universities offer a variety of foreign languages. Yet another method to learn foreign languages, is by use of the Internet; individuals can use a variety of software, dictionaries, translating tools, music videos, and other tools to aid them on their quest for fluency.